Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-26
Libertyss Lure 10 Death.

HUNDREDS OF BIRDS KILLED BY THE LIGHT ON BED
LOE's ISLAND.
From the New York Herald, Sunday.
When the sun rose last Friday there was an un-
usual chill in the air. Human beings felt 1t and
tucked the bedclothes closer around them; cattle
and other quadrupeds shivered little beneath
their sensitive integuments; the birds too-those
most tender, delicate, and ethereal Of living crea-
tureS-snew that end had come Of sutry
weather and that the cherries days of snow and
iroSt were AT hand Their leave taking was brief,
and the SOmber sun had hardly sunk to rest before
they were Well on their way to the land OF flowers
and sunshine. From the chilly fields of Canada
ana the gloomy woods OF our own land they swept
on by leStonS, gladly, unweartedly, through the
sharp cod air, with their keen eyes ever fixed
on the distant horizon where the sun went
dOWn. True cOsnopOlitanS they Stunned
not the society OF strangers, but mingled
with each other in kindly compan1onship.
only few stars in the leaden sky, and the fore
most legion was beginning to feel q little weary,
when suddenly bright light flashed out at little
distance and tw1tter OF aInaZement and delight
ran through the ranks OF the v0yagers. Then be-
fore the wary patriarchs could utter cry OF
warning, hundreds aye thousands, OF birds had
made for the torch OF living gold and were dashing
swiftly toward it. Canadian birds American
birds dainty humming birds, homely catbirds,
stately thrOated thruShes birds OF all sizes and
coIorS-on they came, silently and madly, toward
The dazzling flame. when they reachedtt there
was a crash, a p1t1ful cry, flutter Of MANNED
wings and the next minute all was still. The
light they loved sOwell had slain them. The next
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Engineer Eugene New
ton CHANGED TO stroll down the Statue OF Liberty
on Bedloe's lsl-ind he saw circle of dead birds
surrounding 1t. He knew at once what had hap
pened and so did superintendent Littlefed, who
came up at that moment and who has charge OF
the electric plant on the island. These gentle
men Old not need to be told that the birds had
been attracted by the light in the statues hand
ana mad dashed themselves TO death against it,
OVER THIRTEEN HUNDRED BIRDS KILLED.
They gathered the dead birds into heap counted
them and found that they numbered 1875 There
were among them specimens of more than one
hundred distinct species. The largest bird was
Canadian woodpecker. 1t measured 10 inches
from wing to wing, and its girth was correspond
lngly great. The smallest bird was 1 inch long,
lovely plumaged humming bird. An examination
proved that the heat OF the light had blinded the
unfortunate creatures and that In not few cases
their brains were actually roasted Strictly speak
Ing. hardly any OF them were dashed to death but
were fatally burned and blinded. That thousands
OF other bids Will probably lose their lives in the
same way IS almost certain The flame from the
statue can be seen by human eyes for SO miles,
ana a, birds eyes can certainly see it much FAR
ther Oh II goes without saying that during the
season OF migration many reathered favorites Will
DE lured by II TO an untimely and miserable doom.